SoCon Announces 2026 Softball Preseason Honors

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) softball team was voted as the favorite in the 2026 Southern Conference (SoCon) Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league on Thursday.

The Spartans earned four first-place votes with 43 points, while Samford and Chattanooga tied for second with 37 points. The Mocs received one first-place vote and the Bulldogs earned two. Wofford took the fourth spot with 32 points. Western Carolina, who earned the final first-place vote, was voted sixth with 24 points.

UNCG concluded the 2025 season with a 39-18 overall record and a 14-6 SoCon mark. This was the seventh-straight season and 10^th year with 30-plus wins under the direction of Head Coach Janelle Breneman, who is now in her 14^th season at the helm.

The 2025 squad broke the UNCG record for RBI in a single season with 318. The previous mark of 306 was set by the 2014 team. The Spartans' 318 sat behind Mercer's 319 RBI last season.
 
Senior Kaylyn Belfield and junior Macy Michael were voted to the Presaeson All-SoCon First Team. Senior Salem Ward, juniors Samantha Beck and Betsy Eatmon and sophomore Hadley Gardner all earned Preseason All-SoCon Second Team recognition.

The 2026 roster includes 12 returners, seven freshmen and two transfers. Of the 12 returners, five started in 40 or more game last season. The Spartans return Belfield, who led the Spartans with a UNCG single season batting average record of .431. The Blue & Gold also will see Gardner was one of three Spartans last season to hit 10 or more homers, placing her second on the team with 11 home runs. Michael is the leading returner in RBI and walks, tallying 36 and 23, respectively during her freshman season.

Kaylyn Belfield
Preseason All-SoCon First Team
Senior | OF | Kannapolis, N.C.

• 2025 SoCon All-Conference First Team
• 2025 SoCon All-Tournament Team
• Voted UNCG Team 40 Most Outstanding Offensive Player Award
• Broke UNCG single season batting average record with an impressive .431 (previous was .411 – Lindsay Thomas in 2016)
• 31^st in the nation with .431 batting average
• Played in 57 games with 56 starts in the outfield
• Had career numbers in batting average (.431), on-base percentage (.481), at bats (144), runs (36), hits (62), triples (2), total bases (68) and stolen bases (12)
• Recorded 55 put outs and 66 total chances with a career-best seven assists, making just four errors for a .939 fielding percentage

Macy Michael
Preseason All-SoCon First Team
Sophomore | INF | Newton, N.C.

• 2025 SoCon Freshman of the Year
• 2025 SoCon All-Conference Second Team
• 2025 SoCon All-Freshman Team
• Voted UNCG Team 40 Rookie of the Year
• Played in 52 games with 49 starts
• Was one of five Spartans with a batting average over .300, swinging .344 at the plate
• Had a .439 on-base percentage, .618 slugging percentage, swinging 45-for-131 at the plate with 37 runs scored, nine doubles, nine homers, 23 walks, 36 RBI and 81 total bases.
• In the field, she had 56 total put outs and 166 total chances with 94 assists with a .901 fielding percentage

Salem Ward
Preseason All-SoCon Second Team
Senior | P/UT | Lexington, N.C.

• 2025 CSC Academic All-District Team
• 65^th in the nation with three saves
• 80^th in the nation with 37 pitching appearances
• 62^nd in nation with 2.33 ERA
• Made 37 appearances in the circle last season with 17 starts
• Had career numbers in ERA (2.71), innings pitched (136.2) and strikeouts (91)
• Concluded the season with a 15-6 record with three saves

Samantha Beck
Preseason All-SoCon Second Team
Junior | OF | Acworth, Ga.

• Played in 54 games last season with 51 starts in the outfield
• Had a career-best 97 put outs and 104 total chances with six assists and one error for a .990 fielding percentage
• Had career numbers in 2025: batting average (.263), on-base percentage (.339), at bats (152), runs (40), hits (40), doubles (9), total bases (67), home runs (6), walks (16) and RBI (24)

Betsy Eatmon
Preseason All-SoCon Second Team
Junior | C | Stanley, N.C.

• 2025 SoCon All-Conference First Team
• 70^th nationally in caught stealing by (10)
• Played in 48 games, starting in 40 of them.
• Had career numbers in batting average (.295), on-base percentage (.389), at bats (112), runs (13), hits (33), doubles (6), triples (2) and walks (17)
• Recorded a career-best 130 put outs with 146 total chances
• Had 15 assists and just one error in the field for a .993 field percentage

Hadley Gardner
Preseason All-SoCon Second Team
Sophomore | INF/OF | Winchester, Tenn.

• 2025 SoCon All-Freshman Team
• Played in 52 games last season with 48 starts
• Was one of five Spartans to swing over .300 last season, averaging .310 at the plate
• Had a .387 on-base percentage and .579 slugging percentage
• Went 45-for-145 at the plate with 33 runs scored, six doubles, 11 home runs, 27 RBI, 18 walks and 84 total bases
• Had a .951 fielding percentage with 91 total put outs, 64 assists, and 163 total chances

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Team 41 sets the stage for the new year on Feb. 6, when it battles Western Kentucky (10:00 a.m.) and Georgia Southern (3:00 p.m.) in Statesboro, Georgia, at Eagle Field at GS Softball Complex. The Spartans are scheduled to play five games during the Bash in the Boro from Feb. 6-8.

2026 SoCon Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Team (First-Place Votes) Points

1. UNCG (4)	43
2. Chattanooga (1)	37
Samford (2)	37
4. Wofford	32
5. Mercer	26
6. Western Carolina (1)	24
7. ETSU	17
8. Furman	8

 
Preseason Player of the Year
Olivia Shaw, Samford, Jr., IF
 
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Margaret Axelson, Wofford, Sr.
 
Preseason First-Team All-SoCon
P          Taylor Long, Chattanooga
P          Margaret Axelson, Wofford
C          Katie Campbell, Samford
IF         Macy Michael, UNCG
IF         Olivia Shaw, Samford
IF         Katie Campbell, Samford
IF         Lily Bell, Western Carolina
OF       Kaylyn Belfield, UNCG
OF       Joi Hubbard, Samford
OF       Sydney Dirks, Western Carolina
DP       Sylvia Burroughs, Furman
 
Preseason Second-Team All-SoCon
P          Salem Ward, UNCG
P          Abby Greenwood, Wofford
C          Betsy Eatmon, UNCG
IF         Grace Jones, Mercer
IF         Hadley Gardner, UNCG
IF         Maya McPherson, Western Carolina
IF         Brianna Stanley, Wofford
OF       Samantha Beck, UNCG
OF       Rylee Butler, Western Carolina
OF       Rivers Sampson, Wofford
DP       Sydney Dirks, Western Carolina